Whilst taking a deep breath, I lift my head above the jumble of luscious green leaves. Originally I wanted to clean the kitchen but somehow my nose managed to land in the pot of basil and now I am kneeling on the floor whilst gripping the pot with both hands and burying my entire face in the plant.

Damn, this is an awesome shrub. That the plant with the large green leaves has been occupying a pop-star-role in Italy, surprises me even less than the fact that the characters John Bean plays, cross the Jordan in every one of his movies.

My good old aromatic friend harmonizes well with other sexy ingredients such as garlic, peppers, tomatoes and olive oil and even seems to get along with citrus fruits, cardamom, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. FYI: it will also improve strawberry ice cream and don’t even get me started on the effects it has on gin.

And then, of course, there’s the fundamental classic, an oldie but goldie: pesto, also known as basil and its soulmate parmesan on tour. Nowhere else do the positive properties of the medicinal plant come together in such abundance. Almost like a Festival, but without the flooded tent sites, port-a-potties and the insipid taste of canned ravioli.

Two tablespoons of pesto are enough to fully cover your daily requirement of Vitamin K. Your requirement for calories too, but in return, you get a top cardio-vascular system, and a fancy bone metabolism and anyway – why be stingy?

Stress, sleep deprivation, and mood swings are part of our daily life and also our biggest threat but just a little basil will leave us all cheering until the end. Basil is serious soul-food that will help deter the burn-out.

Fact is: Basil makes life better. My pot and I are completely content here on the kitchen floor. It may sound like soft porn but I swear its great. Though if you prefer doing it at the table, pesto might just be the better choice for you.